what I learned from the Charlotte shop crawl.

[gordonmt]

Everytime I get together with a fellow woodworker I learn something and when I can gang up with 20, the knowledge is so vast I had to take notes so I wanted to share some of things I learned.

1. I'm not the only one who has banished their cars to the elements in favor of a garage shop.

2. Klingspor. Believe it or not, I did not know about this place. Just this week I went in there and bought some really nice things that I have needed for a long time including 2 pounds of sandpaper for $3. My Scotish side really liked that.

3. A saw a gizmo called a grip tite that uses a strong magnet and little plastic wings to help hold things on your table saw or fence. I plan on making one later.

4. Making a leather strop for keeping chisels and other stuff sharp. I stopped by at Tandy leather on Independence and they gave me (Free) two peices of leather to try out. (I like free even better than cheap).

5. Brian Luthart, (bluthart) from Iron station has some of the prettiest cherry wood I have ever seen for sale. I't Brazian cherry and I picked some of that up this weekend also. Even when the boards are only rough sawn, they look wonderful. I can hardly wait to get into some of that stuff.

What I did not learn was that we have the best network of woodworkers anywhere and I am both happy and privledged to be part of it all. See, I already knew that one.

If you learned something new, tell us your story.

[nelsone]

I learned we have some pretty cool people scattered across the state, but I already new that!

[Douglas Robinson]

I learned that North Carolina is too big. It allows us to live in the same state, but still be far enough apart that get-togethers are few and far between. Thank Steve for the picnic.

Doug

[toolferone]

You also learned there are others who know what a ST1100 looks like from the back! LOL!
I loved the look on your face when I asked if that is what it was.

[gordonmt]

Tom
Amen to that one. You are the first person ouside a Honda dealer that knew what my bike was. Thank goodnes no one slapped me on the back right then otherwise I would have had that same amazed face for the rest of my life.

[WoodWrangler]

With each shop, and visit with another WWer, I feel I learn something ... even if so minor I don't pick up it right away. Things that come to mind are (1) beautiful work doesn't have to be made by beautiful people and (2) never underestimate a home-grown jig.

Just kidding around ...

Seriously, I have learned more from fellow WWers than from any magazine. It's the little things & little lessons that add the most value!

[TracyP]

I learned that I have a long way to go to equal the folks that hosted the Crawl . I am relatively new to woodworking, "hence the screen name newtowood" Although I did make a paddle for my sixth grade teacher, That was many years ago and was probably my start in woodworking, and my start in the finer art of stupidity as I was the first person to get to try out the paddle first hand,, lucky me!! But honestly; what I learned is that not just anyone can be a North Carolina Woodworker; "You have to be a really special person to belong to the Finest Woodworking Site On the Net."